What we learn from international studies of school-family-community partnerships

Childhood Education, 1998 by Epstein, Joyce L, Sanders, Mavis G

Researchers in many nations are working to better understand school, family and community partnerships. Using surveys, case studies, action research, experiments and other research methods, they report similar results that cross geographic boundaries, discuss issues that are unique to nations historical and political contexts, and raise new questions that must be addressed in order to continue building knowledge and improving practice (Davies & Johnson, 1996; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 1996; Sanders & Epstein, 1998). This International Focus Issue of Childhood Education yields five main conclusions:

1. Parents everywhere care about their children, and are important for their children's success in school.

These articles confirm that parents everywhere love and care for their children and that they want to be involved in all aspects of their children's development, including their education. Researchers and educators are becoming aware of parents' increasing demands and desires to have more effective communication with teachers, to be able to keep track of their children's schooling and to influence important school decisions that affect their children. Educators should regard parents' eagerness for information and involvement as a sign of strength, not as an annoyance.

In all societies, however, the extent of parents' involvement varies widely. In general, fathers are less involved than mothers, parents of children in secondary schools are less involved than parents of younger children, and parents with less formal education are less involved than parents with more formal education. These disparities must be addressed to ensure that all students reap the academic and social benefits of home-school partnerships.

2. School, family and community partnership programs may determine whether, which and how parents become involved in their children's education.

When schools develop excellent partnership programs, families respond, including those who are typically "hard to reach." The articles in this issue support earlier studies in the United States (Dauber & Epstein, 1993; Epstein, 1990) showing that, across nations, if schools reach out, then parents will become partners in their children's education regardless of income level, education level, where they live, how many adults are at home, or any other factor. The accumulating evidence accepts the challenges associated with developing good partnerships, but clearly refutes the belief that only parents with many years of formal education, prior personal success in school or high socioeconomic status can advocate for and assist their children.

More specifically, if schools effectively implement certain partnership practices, then parents and communities will become involved in explicit ways (Sanders, Epstein & Connors-Tadros, in press). For example, we see that families and children participate when before- and after-school care programs are readily available (see both Elliott and MacBeath in this issue); more families gain important information about their children's development when thoughtful parent education workshops are implemented (see both Filp and Gonzalez in this issue); more parents participate in discussions with their children about their school work, and help them practice and extend skills when homework is designed to involve families (see both MacBeath and Villas-Boas in this issue, as well as Epstein, Simon & Salinas, 1997); and parent representatives multiply when school boards or parent councils are mandated (see both McKenna & Wilms and Ravn in this issue).

When schools select and combine activities for many types of involvement, they begin to build balanced, comprehensive and productive partnership programs. Such programs, however, do not simply appear by themselves. They take time, organization and ongoing effort to overcome barriers such as educators' initial resistance to change, as well as the lack of support structures and national and local policies.

3. Teachers and administrators need preservice and inservice education to prepare for partnerships.

These studies confirm that some educators, in all countries, avoid involving parents for fear of diminishing their professional status, or of losing control of classroom teaching or school management (see Filp, Georgiou, Street and Ravn in this issue). The initial resistance is due, in part, to the absence of adequate preparation that would help educators define partnerships as part of their professional work. Also, educators and parents do not have enough guidance on working together to design programs that not only address school goals, but also meet the needs and interests of parents and students in specific communities. Preservice, advanced and inservice education are needed to accomplish this goal. The evidence is accumulating across countries that when such assistance is provided, teachers' resistance declines or disappears, and more positive home-school relations can be built.